On Character

"Adversity is a severe instructor, set over us by one who knows us better than we do ourselves, as he loves us better too. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. This conflict with difficulty makes us acquainted with our object, and compels us to consider it in all its relations. It will not suffer us to be superficial." -- Edmund Burke "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." -- Abraham Lincoln "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." -- Abraham Lincoln

On Excellence

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." -- Vincent T. Lombardi

"Happiness includes chiefly the idea of satisfaction after full honest effort. No one can possibly be satisfied and no one can be happy who feels that in some paramount affairs he failed to take up the challenge of life." -- Arnold Bennett

"The difference between failure and success is doing a thing nearly right and doing a thing exactly right." -- Edward Simmons